The South African Police Service (SAPS) has seized a shipment of cocaine valued at around R28 million at OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA), adding to the drug busts worth R13.9 million during the 2025/2026 financial year.
According to the police, an intelligence-driven operation was successfully executed at OR Tambo after it received information from SAPS Crime Intelligence’s Border Integrity Unit regarding the suspected drug consignment.
SAPS Visible Policing Unit at OR Tambo International Airport, in collaboration with Customs officials and Menzies Aviation operational members, acted on the received information to intercept the shipment.
“The cargo, which had arrived on a flight from São Paulo, Brazil, was intercepted immediately upon arrival at approximately 1 pm. The 95 kilograms of cocaine were seized at the cargo section of OR Tambo International Airport.”
The police reported that no arrests were made, while investigations remain ongoing to identify and apprehend those involved in the attempted smuggling operation. They also added that they remain committed to disrupting organised criminal networks involved in the illicit drug trade.
The police assured that they will continue working with their law enforcement partners to ensure that South Africa’s borders and ports of entry are protected from criminal exploitation.
These cases resulted in the seizure of the following quantities:
- 2 kilograms of heroin
- 100 litres of ephedrine
- 1,000 Mandrax tablets
- 25.9 kilograms of cocaine
The police highlighted that the estimated conservative street value of the drugs seized is approximately R13.9 million.
OR Tambo International Airport is not only the busiest in South Africa, but also the busiest on the whole continent, handling over 20 million passengers and 212,000 aircraft movements annually. According to FlightRadar, the airport handles an average of 550 to 580 total aircraft movements (arrivals and departures) per day between domestic, international, regional, and unscheduled flights.
Domestic flights total around 285 movements per day, with the route between Johannesburg and Cape Town the busiest, with 38 to 43 daily flights alone. Alongside these, the airport handles around 188 international movements per day, as well as 58 regional movements.
